Pride
by aLazyButSmartFanPJO
Summary: In which Artemis and Athena almost kill each other to fulfill a bet. One-shot.


**AN:** T'is came to me in the form of a dream. I apologize for grammatical errors, if there any. I wrote this in one sitting, you see.

**Peace. ~SmartzyFan**

* * *

**Pride**

**~O~O~O~O~**

_In which Artemis and Athena almost kill each other to fulfill a bet._

* * *

Meet Athena, the most prideful goddess on Olympus.

No, wait. She's the _second_ most prideful goddess on Olympus. Hera's first.

That said, Athena is prideful. She's witty. She's smart. She can be sarcastic. Most of all, she's competitive.

Yes.. Competitive.

That's why when the Olympians challenged her to a bet, she won't back down, even if she's against Artemis, her favorite sister. She's too prideful to say no.

* * *

Meet Artemis, the third most prideful goddess on Olympus.

That's right, third. She follows Athena, who follows Hera, who is the first, expectedly.

Artemis, despite being prideful, knows her limits very well. She knows when she could take on a challenge. She knows when to swallow her pride.

Yes.. She does, but it is hard for her to do so. But she does.

That's why she accepts the Olympians' bet to win against her favorite sister; it's because she knows she could.

* * *

This story started... well, not with a time, since as immortals, it is quite hard to keep track of that.

Rather, it started as a little passenger car in many of Hermes's trains of thought, blending in with messages and deadlines and children.

It could have started in many other ways, really. It could have started when he was bored, when he wasn't busy, when he offered that bet, or... when he voiced the thought out loud.

* * *

"Hey Artemis.."

The goddess turns to him, glaring. "What?" She is still snappy from her argument with her twin brother.

"Athena's your favorite sister... right?" Hermes struggles not to yell to be heard over the noise their other family members are making.

"Yes. What's it to you?"

"Well, you'd side with her in any reasonable argument, right?"

"Yes. Now quit wasting my time," she barks, turning back to her brother.

"Aw, so I'm worth your time, dear sis?" Apollo coos, looking truly touched. Artemis slaps him with her bow.

Hermes tries not to wince at the cracking sound. "How about when you two're put into a challenge against each other?"

A gleam appears in her eyes. He takes that as a yes.

* * *

"Thee! Yo!"

The goddess turns to him, looking annoyed. His uncle's face comes forth with hers. "Hey! Only I could call her that."

Hermes blinks. "Yeah whatever." Poseidon frowns at his response. "Athena, Artemis _is_ your favorite sister, right?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

Hermes beams. He likes this conversation better than with the irritable ever-so-menopause moon goddess.

"Can you name a situation where you'd go against her?"

Her face goes blank for a moment. "None, I reckon. Unless she wants to forswear her vow."

"What about when, for example, you want to win a challenge against her?"

The same gleam appears. "Definitely."

* * *

"Will everyone please shut up now," Zeus yells impatiently.

It took time, but soon the Olympians are all in their seats, settled down and silent, waiting for their king to speak.

"I'm supposed to dismiss you right now, truth be told." Zeus muttered something under his breath, before continuing. "But, well, I overheard Hermes's little quirky shenanigans and I thought we could give him the floor for now. I think it's rather interesting."

The gods murmur something among themselves about their king going crazy.

The Olympians all turn to Hermes as Zeus sat down. "Well yeah. You heard that. I propose a... a bet.."

* * *

"Okay, let my little sister's voice be heard for a sec, guys."

Artemis glares at her brother, but speaks. "I won't do that just for your entertainment."

"Neither will I," Athena adds.

"I bet you'll agree just like the rest of us when it's Apollo and Hermes against each other," Ares grumbles.

"Yeah. True that."

"That's different."

"Hey hey," Hermes holds his hands up. "You told me you'd want to win a challenge."

Athena harrumphs. "Something reasonable."

"Why, Athena?" Poseidon mocks, grinning. "Afraid Artemis will win against you?"

"Yeah, sis!" Apollo joins him. "Afraid big sis Thena's better than you?"

Athena's brow furrows. "No."

"No."

"Well, what have you got to lose?" Ares prods, smirking as he realizes what his uncle and his half-brother are thinking. "You at least wanna test your little skills, yeah?"

The two goddesses look at each other critically, and Hermes could tell that they are up to something. "Okay fine. When can we do this?" Athena asks, annoyed.

Hermes's Joker grin widens a little more, if that was possible. "Whenever you're ready."

The two flashes out at the same time. Hermes's grin doesn't falter, and his relatives are getting a little worried.

He now just needs the perfect challenge... yes, that one that takes away a piece of their sanity. Those are preferred... and he knows just the right person to ask for it.

* * *

"Tadaaaaa!"

Athena and Artemis stare, flabbergasted. He expected such a reaction from them.

Whom is he kidding? Of course they'll react like that! He's the freaking god of mischief!

"This... is your challenge?" they ask. Apollo bangs his head on the table in disappointment.

"Hey! Don't underestimate me!" Hermes glares at them jokingly. "I'm known for winning bets all the time, you know!"

"Except you're the only one with the stupidest side, the one that most likely won't happen," Zeus quips. "Well maybe me, but I didn't place one."

"You should've placed yours on Thena, Hermes bro, and Dad. Arty will _loooose_."

"In your idiotic dreams, little brother."

"No yeah. I just know you're going to use that cheat card."

"Says who."

"Yeah yeah you can shut up now, Apollo," Hermes grins cheekily at them. "For now, you can go ahead into your little challenges, sisters. You both won't finish those." He laughs, slightly crazily. "I bet you're going to kill each other later."

"That's your side?" Ares looks at him incredulously. "No. I voted... uh, Athena would finish hers first, I guess."

"I side with the loser swordfighter, for once," Apollo raises his hand. Ares elbows him in the gut.

Aphrodite looks between the two goddesses. "I have a nail to pick with both of you, but it's Athena's week! So Artemis," she turns to the moon goddess. "Go go go!"

"For once, the harpy is right. Athena," Poseidon says, seriously. "You SUCK."

Athena snorts. "Say what you want, Barnacle Brain. It's not going to change anything." She looks at her sister beside her. "Let's do this?"

"Hades yes."

* * *

Hermes has to keep himself from falling off his throne.

As he expected, the goddesses couldn't even progress one bit.

Well maybe Athena did with some wild guesses, but that was it.

It went like this.

Athena: Artemis you're the expert here.

Athena: I can't believe I don't know this stuff.

Athena: This is so humiliating. Artemis?

Artemis: Wait a second okay? I promise to help you with that... after I'm finished with this.

Athena: But you'll have won then!

Artemis: …

Athena: …

Artemis: Oh my gods Athena what is that curve in a boy's throat.

Artemis: Athena what do you call it. Athena.

Artemis: Athena.

Athena: Wait just a minute. What exactly do we do to get rid of emotional turmoil?

Artemis: We?

Athena: Girls. Women.

Artemis: You're a woman! You're supposed to know, gods.

It would've gone for forever, and Hermes isn't saving his breath to wait for a moment to laugh. The other gods are doing the same.

* * *

About five hours has passed, and..

Well, you guessed it. They haven't moved forward in their challenges.

"Oh gods, I can't take this anymore."

"Oh gods yes! Yes! Artemis is surrendering! Yes!" Apollo yells to the heavens as though he just received a new chariot.

"Shut up Apollo. I'm not," Artemis spats at him. "Athena, would you please so kindly help me in my challenge?"

"Hey, that's disallowed!" Hermes shouts. But it turns out that he didn't need to.

"What? No!" Athena tells her, looking horrified. "We can't give up."

"It's not giving up! It's helping!"

"Oh no, it isn't."

"Give me my answer key, then."

"Arty's giving up!" Apollo continues to yell, annoyingly. "She's giving up!"

"Artemis! Hey—" Athena jumps up from her seat as Artemis approaches her. "Hey, Artemis, we talked about this. What are you—nononono."

"Go Artemis!" Poseidon yells over to them. "Boo-HOO ATHENA."

"Give me my answer key! I swear you're already winning when you give it to me!"

"Hey I know what you're using on me and it isn't going to work! Nope!"

"Fight, fight," Ares mutters to himself, watching the scene.

"Just give it!" Artemis rounds over Athena's desk, reaching for the drawer where the sheet is. Athena slaps her hand away and shields the drawer with herself.

"Nonono. You're not going to. I'm not."

"Hey, we agreed that we'll help each other, yes?"

"Not like this!" Athena glares at her. "Besides, we agreed that if both of us need it."

"We do!"

"Most entertainment since Troy," Aphrodite giggles quietly, conjuring up a posh jar of French chocolate as snacks.

"Then prove it, Miss Goddess-Who's-Menopause-Because-Of-Lack-Of-Kids."

Artemis's, as well as Hermes's and the other gods', mouth pops open in surprise.

And then with the exception of the moon goddess, the Olympians start laughing loudly.

"Well, Miss Goddess-Who's-Not-In-Touch-Of-Her-Feminine-Side," Artemis starts, causing the gods, Poseidon above all others, to laugh louder. "I bet you're the only goddess who doesn't know how to give birth using her sass-rhyming body part."

"Oh yeah? Well I bet you're the only goddess who doesn't know half the good human civilization contains."

"I bet you're the only goddess who doesn't think that Percy Jackson is good-looking."

Glances are thrown her way.

"I bet you're the only goddess who doesn't know Zoë Nightshade's dirty little secret."

And then sent her way.

"You're the only goddess who doesn't have a navel."

"You're the only goddess who fell for a mortal's obvious schemes."

"Secrets out," Hermes mutters to himself gleefully as Apollo jots down everything in a notepad. The two continue their verbal spat until they result to drawing weapons on each other.

Zeus tries to calm his daughters down, which ended with a spear and an arrow to his face. He backs down as they litter the throne room with arrows and bits of torn clothing.

"That didn't end well," Zeus grumbles, eyeing all the mess in his throne room distastefully. The sisters continue their brawl. Ares appears to be enjoying himself immensely. Others watch them, wide-eyed.

Except for Hermes, that is. "Yeah, it did for me. Yo guys. Pay up."

* * *

It is the end of the article called _Pride,_ in which Artemis and Athena almost kill each other to fulfill a bet, written by Hermes himself for the Olympus newspaper.

Needless to say, Artemis and Athena didn't show their faces for a whole month.


End file.
